1And it came to pass in the eleventhH259 H6240 yearH8141, in the thirdH7992 month, in the firstH259 day of the monthH2320, that the wordH1697 of the LORDH3068 came unto me, sayingH559, 2SonH1121 of manH120, speakH559 unto PharaohH6547 kingH4428 of EgyptH4714, and to his multitudeH1995; Whom art thou likeH1819 in thy greatnessH1433? 3Behold, the AssyrianH804 was a cedarH730 in LebanonH3844 with fairH3303 branchesH6057, and with a shadowingH6751 shroudH2793, and of an highH1362 statureH6967; and his topH6788 was among the thick boughsH5688. 4The watersH4325 made him greatH1431, the deepH8415 set him up on highH7311 with her riversH5104 runningH1980 round aboutH5439 his plantsH4302, and sent outH7971 her little riversH8585 unto all the treesH6086 of the fieldH7704. 5Therefore his heightH6967 was exaltedH1361 above all the treesH6086 of the fieldH7704, and his boughsH5634 were multipliedH7235, and his branchesH6288 became longH748 because of the multitudeH7227 of watersH4325, when he shot forthH7971 . 6All the fowlsH5775 of heavenH8064 made their nestsH7077 in his boughsH5589, and under his branchesH6288 did all the beastsH2416 of the fieldH7704 bring forth their youngH3205, and under his shadowH6738 dweltH3427 all greatH7227 nationsH1471. 7Thus was he fairH3302 in his greatnessH1433, in the lengthH753 of his branchesH1808: for his rootH8328 was by greatH7227 watersH4325. 8The cedarsH730 in the gardenH1588 of GodH430 could not hideH6004 him: the fir treesH1265 were not likeH1819 his boughsH5589, and the chesnut treesH6196 were not like his branchesH6288; nor any treeH6086 in the gardenH1588 of GodH430 was likeH1819 unto him in his beautyH3308. 9I have madeH6213 him fairH3303 by the multitudeH7230 of his branchesH1808: so that all the treesH6086 of EdenH5731, that were in the gardenH1588 of GodH430, enviedH7065 him. 10Therefore thus saithH559 the LordH136 GODH3069; Because thou hast lifted upH1361 thyself in heightH6967, and he hath shot upH5414 his topH6788 among the thick boughsH5688, and his heartH3824 is lifted upH7311 in his heightH1363; 11I have therefore deliveredH5414 him into the handH3027 of the mighty oneH410 of the heathenH1471; he shall surelyH6213 dealH6213 with him: I have driven him outH1644 for his wickednessH7562. 12And strangersH2114, the terribleH6184 of the nationsH1471, have cut him offH3772, and have leftH5203 him: upon the mountainsH2022 and in all the valleysH1516 his branchesH1808 are fallenH5307, and his boughsH6288 are brokenH7665 by all the riversH650 of the landH776; and all the peopleH5971 of the earthH776 are gone downH3381 from his shadowH6738, and have leftH5203 him. 13Upon his ruinH4658 shall all the fowlsH5775 of the heavenH8064 remainH7931, and all the beastsH2416 of the fieldH7704 shall be upon his branchesH6288: 14To the end that none of all the treesH6086 by the watersH4325 exaltH1361 themselves for their heightH6967, neither shoot upH5414 their topH6788 among the thick boughsH5688, neither their treesH352 stand upH5975 in their heightH1363, all that drinkH8354 waterH4325: for they are all deliveredH5414 unto deathH4194, to the nether partsH8482 of the earthH776, in the midstH8432 of the childrenH1121 of menH120, with them that go downH3381 to the pitH953. 15Thus saithH559 the LordH136 GODH3069; In the dayH3117 when he went downH3381 to the graveH7585 I caused a mourningH56 : I coveredH3680 the deepH8415 for him, and I restrainedH4513 the floodsH5104 thereof, and the greatH7227 watersH4325 were stayedH3607 : and I caused LebanonH3844 to mournH6937 for him, and all the treesH6086 of the fieldH7704 faintedH5969 for him. 16I made the nationsH1471 to shakeH7493 at the soundH6963 of his fallH4658, when I cast him downH3381 to hellH7585 with them that descendH3381 into the pitH953: and all the treesH6086 of EdenH5731, the choiceH4005 and bestH2896 of LebanonH3844, all that drinkH8354 waterH4325, shall be comfortedH5162 in the nether partsH8482 of the earthH776. 17They also went downH3381 into hellH7585 with him unto them that be slainH2491 with the swordH2719; and they that were his armH2220, that dweltH3427 under his shadowH6738 in the midstH8432 of the heathenH1471. 18To whom art thou thus likeH1819 in gloryH3519 and in greatnessH1433 among the treesH6086 of EdenH5731? yet shalt thou be brought downH3381 with the treesH6086 of EdenH5731 unto the nether partsH8482 of the earthH776: thou shalt lieH7901 in the midstH8432 of the uncircumcisedH6189 with them that be slainH2491 by the swordH2719. This is PharaohH6547 and all his multitudeH1995, saithH5002 the LordH136 GODH3069.
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary 1 This prophecy bears date the month before Jerusalem was taken, as that in the close of the foregoing chapter about four months before. When God's people were in the depth of their distress, it would be some comfort to them, as it would serve likewise for a check to the pride and malice of their neighbours, that insulted over them, to be told from heaven that the cup was going round, even the cup of trembling, that it would shortly be taken out of the hands of God's people and put into the hands of those that hated them,
Isa 51:22,
Isa 51:23. In this prophecy,
I. The prophet is directed to put Pharaoh upon searching the records for a case parallel to his own (
Ezek 31:2):
Speak to Pharaoh and to his multitude, to the multitude of his attendants, that contributed so much to his magnificence, and the multitude of his armies, that contributed so much to his strength. These he was proud of, these he put a confidence in; and they were as proud of him and trusted as much in him. Now ask him,
Whom art thou like in thy greatness? We are apt to judge of ourselves by comparison. Those that think highly of themselves fancy themselves as great and as good as such and such, that have been mightily celebrated. The flatterers of princes tell them whom they equal in pomp and grandeur. Well, says God, let him pitch upon the most famous potentate that ever was, and it shall be allowed that he is
like him in greatness and no way inferior to him; but, let him pitch upon whom he will, he will find that
his day came to fall; he will see there was
an end of all
his perfection, and must therefore expect the end of his own in like manner. Note, The falls of others, both into sin and ruin, are intended as admonitions to us not to be secure or
high-minded, nor to think we stand out of danger.
II. He is directed to show him an instance of one whom he resembles in greatness, and that was the Assyrian (
Ezek 31:3), whose monarchy had continued from Nimrod. Sennacherib was one of the mighty princes of that monarchy; but it sunk down soon after him, and the monarchy of Nebuchadnezzar was built upon its ruins, or rather grafted upon its stock. Let us now see what a flourishing prince the king of Assyria was. He is here compared to a stately cedar,
Ezek 31:3. The glory of the house of David is illustrated by the same similitude,
Ezek 17:3. The olive-tree, the fig-tree, and the vine, which were all fruit-trees, had refused to be
promoted over the trees because they would not leave their fruitfulness (
Judg 9:8, etc.), and therefore the choice falls upon the cedar, that is stately and strong, and casts a great shadow, but bears no fruit. 1. The Assyrian monarch was a tall cedar, such as the cedars in Lebanon generally were, of a
high stature, and
his top among the thick boughs; he was attended by other princes that were tributaries to him, and was surrounded by a life-guard of brave men. He surpassed all the princes in his neighbourhood; they were all shrubs to him (
Ezek 31:5):
His height was exalted above all the trees of the field; they were many of them very high, but he overtopped them all,
Ezek 31:8. The cedars, even those in the garden of Eden, which we may suppose were the best of the kind,
would not hide him, but his top branches outshot theirs. 2. He was a spreading cedar; his branches did not only run up in height, but run out in breadth, denoting that this mighty prince was not only exalted to great dignity and honour, and had a name above the names of the great men of the earth, but that he obtained great dominion and power; his territories were large, and he extended his conquests far and his influences much further. This cedar, like
a vine, sent forth
his branches to the sea, to the river, Pss 80:11.
His boughs were multiplied; his branches became long (
Ezek 31:5); so that
he had a shadowing shroud, Ezek 31:3. This contributed very much to his beauty, that he grew proportionably large as well as high. He was
fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches (
Ezek 31:7), very comely as well as very stately,
fair by the multitude of his branches, Ezek 31:9. His large dominions were well managed, like a spreading tree that is kept in shape and good order by the skill of the gardener, so as to be very beautiful to the eye. His government was as amiable in the eyes of wise men as it was admirable in the eyes of all men. The
fir-trees were not
like his boughs, so straight, so green, so regular; nor were the branches of
the chestnut-trees like his branches, so thick, so spreading. In short,
no tree in the garden of God, in Eden, in Babylon (for that stood where paradise was planted), where there was every tree that was
pleasant to the sight (
Gen 2:9), was like
to this cedar in beauty; that is, in all the surrounding nations there was no prince so much admired, so much courted, and whom every body was so much in love with, as the king of Assyria. Many of them
did virtuously, but he
excelled them all, outshone them all.
All the trees of Eden envied him, Ezek 31:9. When they found they could not compare with him they were angry and grieved that he so far outdid them, and secretly grudged him the praise due to him. Note, It is the unhappiness of those who in any thing excel others that thereby they make themselves the objects of envy; and
who can stand before envy? 3. He was serviceable, as far as a standing growing cedar could be, and that was only by his shadow (
Ezek 31:6):
All the fowls of heaven, some of all sorts,
made their nests in his boughs, where they were sheltered from the injuries of the weather. The
beasts of the field put themselves under the protection of
his branches. There they were
levant -
rising up, and
couchant -
lying down; there they
brought forth their young; for they had there a natural covert from the heat and from the storm. The meaning of all is,
Under his shadow dwelt all great nations; they all fled to him for safety, and were willing to swear allegiance to him if he would undertake to protect them, as travellers in a shower come under thick trees for shelter. Note, Those who have power ought to use it for the protection and comfort of those whom they have power over; for to that end they are entrusted with power. Even the bramble, if he be anointed king, invites the trees to come and
trust in his shadow, Judg 9:15. But the utmost security that any creature, even the king of Assyria himself, can give, is but like the shadow of a tree, which is but a scanty and slender protection, and leaves a man many ways exposed. Let us therefore flee to God for protection, and he will take us
under the shadow of his wings, where we shall be warmer and safer than under the shadow of the strongest and stateliest cedar,
Pss 17:8;
Pss 91:4. 4. He seemed to be settled and established in his greatness and power. For, (1.) It was God that
made him fair, Ezek 31:9. For by him kings reign. He was comely with the comeliness that God put upon him. Note, God's hand must be eyed and owned in the advancement of the great men of the earth, and therefore we must not envy them; yet that will not secure the continuance of their prosperity, for he that gave them their beauty, if they be deprived of it, knows how to turn it into deformity. (2.) He seemed to have a good bottom. This cedar was not like the
heath in the desert, made to inhabit the parched places (
Jer 17:6); it was not a
root in a dry ground, Isa 53:2. No; he had abundance of wealth to support his power and grandeur (
Ezek 31:4):
The waters made him great; he had vast treasures, large stores and magazines, which were as
the deep that set him up on high, constant revenues coming in by taxes, customs, and crown-rents, which were
as rivers running round about his plants; these enabled him to strengthen and secure his interests every where, for he
sent out his little rivers, or conduits,
to all the trees of the field, to water them; and when they had
maintenance from the king's palace (
Ezra 4:14), and
their country was nourished by the king's country (
Acts 12:20), they would be serviceable and faithful to him. Those that have wealth flowing upon them in great rivers find themselves obliged to send it out again in little rivers; for,
as goods are increased, those are increased that eat them, and the more men have the more occasion they have for it; yea, and still the more they have occasion for. The
branches of this cedar
became long, because of
the multitude of waters which fed them (
Ezek 31:5 and
Ezek 31:7);
his root was by great waters, which seemed to secure it that
its leaf should never wither (
Pss 1:3), that it should not
see when heat came, Jer 17:8. Note, Worldly people may seem to have an established prosperity, yet it only seems so,
Job 5:3;
Pss 37:35.
10 We have seen the king of Egypt resembling the king of Assyria in pomp, and power, and prosperity, how like he was to him in his greatness; now here we see,
I. How he does likewise resemble him in his pride,
Ezek 31:10. For, as face answers to face in a glass, so does one corrupt carnal heart to another; and the same temptations of a prosperous state by which some are overcome are fatal to many others too.
Thou, O king of Egypt!
hast lifted up thyself in height, hast been proud of thy wealth and power,
Ezek 29:3. And just so
he (that is, the king of Assyria); when he had
shot up his top among the thick boughs his heart was immediately
lifted up in his height, and he grew insolent and imperious, set God himself at defiance, and trampled upon his people; witness the messages and letter which
the great king, the king of Assyria, sent to Hezekiah,
Isa 36:4. How haughtily does he speak of himself and his own achievements! how scornfully of that great and good man! There were other sins in which the Egyptians and the Assyrians did concur, particularly that of oppressing God's people, which is charged upon them both together (
Isa 52:4); but here that sin is traced up to its cause, and that was pride; for it is the
contempt of the proud that they are
filled with. Note, When men's outward condition rises their minds commonly rise with it; and it is very rare to find a humble spirit in the midst of great advancements.
II. How he shall therefore resemble him in his fall; and for the opening of this part of the comparison,
1. Here is a history of the fall of the king of Assyria. For his part, says God (
Ezek 31:11),
I have therefore, because he was thus lifted up,
delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen. Cyaxares, king of the Medes, in the twenty-sixth year of his reign, in conjunction with Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the first year of his reign, destroyed Nineveh, and with it the Assyrian empire. Nebuchadnezzar, though he was not then, yet afterwards became, very emphatically, the
mighty one of the heathen, most mighty among them and most mighty over them, to prevail against them.
(1.) Respecting the fall of the Assyrian three things are affirmed: - [1.] It is God himself that orders his ruin:
I have delivered him into the hand of the executioner;
I have driven him out. Note, God is the Judge, who puts down one and sets up another (
Pss 75:7); and when he pleases he can extirpate and expel those who think themselves, and seem to others, to have taken deepest root. And the mightiest ones of the heathens could not gain their point against those they contended with if the Almighty did not himself deliver them into their hands. [2.] It is his own sin that procures his ruin:
I have driven him out for his wickedness. None are driven out from their honour, power, and possessions, but it is
for their wickedness. None of our comforts are ever lost but what have been a thousand times forfeited. If the wicked are
driven away, it is
in their wickedness. [3.] It is a
mighty one of the heathen that shall be the instrument of his ruin; for God often employs one wicked man in punishing another.
He shall surely deal with him, shall know how to manage him, great as he is. Note, Proud imperious men will, sooner or later, meet with their match.
(2.) In this history of the fall of the Assyrian observe, [1.] A continuation of the similitude of the cedar. He grew very high, and extended his boughs very far; but his day comes to fall.
First, This stately cedar was cropped:
The terrible of the nations cut him off. Soldiers, who being both armed and commissioned to kill, and slay, and destroy, may well be reckoned among
the terrible of the nations. They have lopped off his branches first, have seized upon some parts of his dominion and forced them out of his hands; so that in all
mountains and
valleys of the nations about, in the high-lands and low-lands, and
by all the rivers, there were cities or countries that were broken off from the Assyrian monarchy, that had been subject to it, but had either revolted or were recovered from it. Its feathers were borrowed; and, when every bird had fetched back its own, it was naked like the stump of a tree.
Secondly, It was deserted:
All the people of the earth, that had fled to him for shelter, have
gone down from his shadow and have left him. When he was disabled to give them protection they thought they no longer owed him allegiance. Let not great men be proud of the number of those that attend them and have a dependence upon them; it is only for what they can get. When Providence frowns upon them their retinue is soon dispersed and scattered from them.
Thirdly, It was insulted over, and its fall triumphed in (
Ezek 31:13):
Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, to tread upon the broken branches of this cedar. Its fall is triumphed in by the other trees, who were angry to see themselves overtopped so much:
All the trees of Eden, that were cut down and had fallen before him,
all that drank water of the rain of heaven, as the stump of the tree that is left in the
south is said to be
wet with the dew of heaven (
Dan 4:23) and to bud
through the scent of water (
Job 14:9),
shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth when they see this proud cedar brought as low as themselves.
Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris -
To have companions in woe is a solace to those who suffer. But, on the contrary, the trees of Lebanon, that are yet standing in their height and strength,
mourned for him, and
the trees of the field fainted for him, because they could not but read their own destiny in his fall.
Howl, fir-trees, if the cedar be shaken, for they cannot expect to stand long,
Zech 11:2. [2.] An explanation of the similitude of the cedar. By the cutting down of this cedar is signified the slaughter of this mighty monarch and all his adherents and supporters; they are all
delivered to death, to fall by the sword, as the cedar by the axe. He and his princes, who, he said, were
altogether kings, go down to the grace,
to the nether parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, as common persons of no quality or distinction.
They died like men (
Pss 82:7); they were carried away with
those that go down to the pit, and their pomp did neither protect them nor
descend after them. Again (
Ezek 31:16), He was
cast down to hell with those that descend into the pit; he went into the state of the dead, and was buried as others are, in obscurity and oblivion. Again (
Ezek 31:17),
They all that were his arm, on whom he stayed, by whom he acted and exerted his power, all
that dwelt under his shadow, his subjects and allies, and all that had any dependence on him, they all
went down into ruin, down into the grace
with him, unto those that were slain with the sword, to those that were cut off by untimely deaths before them, under the load of guilt and shame. When great men fall a great many fall with them, as a great many in like manner have fallen before them. [3.] What God designed, and aimed at, in bringing down this mighty monarch and his monarchy. He designed thereby,
First, To give an alarm to the nations about, to put them all to a stand, to put them all to a gaze (
Ezek 31:16):
I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall. They were all struck with astonishment to see so mighty a prince brought down thus. It give a shock to all their confidences, every one thinking his turn would be next.
When he went down to the grace (
Ezek 31:15)
I caused a mourning, a general lamentation, as the whole kingdom goes into mourning at the death of the king. In token of this general grief,
I covered the deep for him, put that into black, gave a stop to business, in complaisance to this universal mourning.
I restrained the floods, and the great waters were stayed, that they might run into another channel, that of lamentation. Lebanon particularly, the kingdom of Syria, that was sometimes in confederacy with the Assyrian, mourned for him; as the allies of Babylon,
Revel 18:9.
Secondly, To give an admonition to the nations about, and to their kings (
Ezek 31:14):
To the end that none of all the trees by the waters, though ever so advantageously situated,
may exalt themselves for their height, may be proud and conceited of themselves and
shoot up their top among the thick boughs, looking disdainfully upon others, nor
stand upon themselves for their height, confiding in their own politics and powers, as if they could never be brought down. Let them all take warning by the Assyrian, for he once held up his head as high, and thought he kept his footing as firm, as any of them; but his pride went before his destruction, and his confidence failed him. Note, The fall of proud presumptuous men is intended for warning to others to keep humble. It would have been well for Nebuchadnezzar, who was himself active in bringing down the Assyrian, if he had taken the admonition.
2. Here is a prophecy of the fall of the king of Egypt in like manner,
Ezek 31:18. He thought himself like the Assyrian
in glory and greatness, over-topping
all the trees of Eden, as the cypress does the shrubs. But
thou also
shalt be brought down, with the other trees that are pleasant to the sight, as those in Eden. Thou shalt be
brought to the grave, to the nether or lower
parts of the earth; thou shalt
lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, that die in their uncleanness, die ingloriously, die under a curse and at a distance from God; then shall those whom thou hast trampled upon triumph over thee, saying,
This is Pharaoh and all his multitude. See how mean he looks, how low he lies; see what all his pomp and pride have come to; here is all that is left of him. Note, Great men and great multitudes, with the great figure and great noise they make in the world, when God comes to contend with them, will soon become little, less than nothing, such as Pharaoh and all his multitude.